Botany and Ormiston Times : Howick and Botany Times Wednesday February 26

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12 — Howick and Botany Times, Wednesday, February 26, 2014 On the Road Tango could be answer By David McP motorway Pherson THE traffi c chaos panied the opening of interchange State Highways Greening thinking “To think that money [$100 made it [traffi lievable,” he says. “I spent four ing all of the atoetoe to ease Auckland’s gridlock. haos that the of ays 1 and 20 at Manukau in 2011 started Toa nking about how land’s worsening they spent all $100 million] and fi c] worse is unbesays. tion I could get my hands on.” As a result,, the former Papmmunity ur studye traffi c informaet my hands on.” Community Board and Manurewa elected member with an innovative traffi c on Auckland’s ways moving smoothly. ne the maths, g says the Having done Mr Greening FULL SERVICE FROM $74.95 incl     Open:    329 Ti Rakau Drive, Botany (opposite Bunnings)   answer lies in getting 15,000 single occupant vehicles off the roads at peak times.. “The issue e is not the number of cars ways, on the motorways, h of but the width them.” What he’s proposing is to e replace those vehicles with fl eet of electric microcars called the Tango. h a ric alled “Gridlock starts once each lane exceeds hour. the number of vehicles in ceeds 2000 an wa Local Board ber has come up vative plan to get ckland’s motorsmoothly. “Microcars would allow almost twice that many vehicles to travel without the big rush hour slow down,” says Mr Greening. While they cannot travel side by side, there is room in a motorway lane for two lines of microcars in a staggered formation. “As long as each follows the three second rule there is no problem.” With a distance range of 130km per energy charge, and of a similar size to a BMW motorcycle, — Howick and Botany Times, Wednesday, February 26, 2014 On the Road Tango could be answer By David McP motorway Pherson THE traffi c chaos panied the opening of interchange State Highways Greening thinking “To think that money [$100 made it [traffi lievable,” he says. “I spent four ing all of the atoetoe to ease Auckland’s gridlock. haos that the of ays 1 and 20 at Manukau in 2011 started Toa nking about how land’s worsening they spent all $100 million] and fi c] worse is unbe- says. tion I could get my hands on.” As a result,, the former Pap- mmunity ur study- e traffi c informa- et my hands on.” Community Board and Manurewa elected member with an innovative traffi c on Auckland’s ways moving smoothly. ne the maths, g says the Having done Mr Greening FULL SERVICE FROM $74.95 incl     Open:    329 Ti Rakau Drive, Botany (opposite Bunnings)   answer lies in getting 15,000 single occupant vehicles off the roads at peak times.. “The issue e is not the number of cars ways, on the motorways, h of but the width them.” What he’s proposing is to e replace those vehicles with fl eet of electric microcars called the Tango. h a ric alled “Gridlock starts once each lane exceeds hour. the number of vehicles in ceeds 2000 an wa Local Board ber has come up vative plan to get ckland’s motor- smoothly. “Microcars would allow almost twice that many vehi- cles to travel without the big rush hour slow down,” says Mr Greening. While they cannot travel side by side, there is room in a motorway lane for two lines of microcars in a staggered for- mation. “As long as each follows the three second rule there is no problem.” With a distance range of 130km per energy charge, and of a similar size to a BMW motorcycle, two two people. accelerating And it’s nippy – capable of to 100kph in less than four seconds – and safe, with a full roll cage built into the chassis. drive,” “They’re a lo says M lot after spending fi v Francisco recentl a Tango. of fun to Mr Greening, ve days in San While the ide s domestic marke ing presentation the Auckland Co boards. recently test driving idea is still in stage for the market, he’s mak- presentations to each of Council’s local “It’s all about getting people to think abou sible solution to Auckland’s g back.” The microcar microcars, says, could be thought of as an addition to the pub network. them “The idea is to target lease to the p affected who work in the runnin people who work in the CBD.” With running about it as a posget their feedhe public transport most gridlock – those costs 1-cent to 2c a kilometre, and savin using moto the net cos saving money by motorcycle parks, costs would be similar to or cheaper than running conventional vehicle. “Add t the potential reduction in travel time and I thin a winn Greening. The T Seattle, U “The co the world for the car.” Project Microcar founder Zealand, Toa Greening. r founder in New Times p Times photo David McPherson Greening Comm Tango is made Commuter Cars in Unites States. company owns worldwide patent think we’re on to winner,” says Mr of www.times.co.nz UREPAIRES HOWICK – winner of the New Zealand Personality of the Year award 2013 MAD MIKE’S LOGIC... 33 YEARS GONE, 33 YEARS TO GO AT 33 WELLINGTON STREET – KEEPING THE LOCAL COMMUNITY SAFE Beaurepaires HOWICK TYRES & ALIGNMENT trading as Howick 33 Wellington St, Howick  534 4975 WINZ Quotes Welcome 125891 125831 123779-V5